This Regiment was organized at Augusta, Me., from Dec. 3d to Dec. 17th,
1861, to serve three years. They left for Boston Feb. 5th, 1862, and on
the 8th sailed for Ship Island, Miss., where they arrived March 8th. They
sailed for New Orleans on May 19th, and there remained until July 5th.
On the 7th they embarked for Batin Rouge, where, on the 5th of August,
they took a prominent part in the engagement with the enemy under Gen.
Breckenridge, losing in the engagement, in killed, wounded and missing,
126 men.
On the 20th they left Baton Rouge and proceeded to Camp Parapet, thence
on the 26th to Carrollton.
On the 7th of September they participated in the attack and capture of a camp of guerillas at or near St Charles Court House.
On the 30th they were assigned to Gen. Dudley's Brigade of Sherman's Division, and on the 26th of October, returned to Carrollton, where they remained until Dec. 13th, when they were ordered to Bonnet Carre, thirty miles further up the river, and where they remained until Mat 7th, 1863, employed in preventing smuggling through the rebel linesw, and upon expeditions into the interior for the purpose of reconnoissance and other objects.
On the 7th of May they proceeded towards Civiquis Ferry, and on the 10th and 11th, were attacked by the enemy at that place, and repulsed them on both days.
On the 20th they proceeded to Baton Rouge, thence to Port Hudson, arriving at the latter place on the 22d. They participated in the assaults on the enemy's fortifications at that place on the 27th of May and on the 14th of June. From the 22d of June, until the surrender of the place on the 8th of July, they remained in the trenches exposed to a heavy fire from the enemy's batteries.
After the surrender of Port Hudson, they were stationed a short distance from that place on the road to Clinton, doing Picket duty, until the 22d of August, when they proceeded to Baton Rouge; thence on the 3d of September, with the expedition to Sabine Pass, and afterwards to Algiers. After remaining a short time in Algiers they proceeded to Brashear City, thence to Opelousas, which they reached on the 21st of October.
On the 1st of November they proceeded towards New Iberia; reached Vermillion Bayou after a march of two days, remained there until the 16th, and than marched to New Iberia, where they remained encamped until the 7th of January, 1864.
In the meanwhile, all but forty of the available men of the regiment, having re-enlisted for an additional term of three years service, on the 10th of February they left New Orleans for Maine, having been granted a furlough for thirty days, and arrived on the 21st at Augusta, where they reassembled at the expiration of their furlough. They left for Portland on the 9th of April, and sailed on the following day for New Orleans, where they arrived on the 19th, and encamped at the "Parapet" until May 5th. Then proceeded to Baton Rouge, and on the 3d of July, down the river to Algiers, preparatory to a then unknown sea voyage.
On the 13th they sailed for Bermuda Hundred, Va., arrived there on the 22d, and were immediately assigned to Gen. Butler's command.
On the 31st they proceeded to Washington; and on the 14th, marched for the Shenandoah Valley by way of the Chain Bridge and Leesburg Turnpike, joining Gen. Sheridan's forces at Berryville, Va., on the 18th.
They participated in the battle of Winchester on the 19th of September, losing sixty men in killed, wounded and missing; and were present at the assault and capture of Fisher's Hill, after which they joined in the pursuit of the enemy to Harrisburg.
Subsequently they returned to Cedar Creek and participated in the engagement at that place on the 19th of October, losing eighty men killed, wounded and taken prisoners.
Shortly after the battle of Cedar Creek they moved to a position near Kearnestown, where heavy works were erected, in which they remained until the 23d of December, when the original members who had not re-enlisted and whose term of service had expired, were ordered to Maine for the purpose of being mustered out, the re-enlisted men and recruits whose term of service had not expired, being organized into a battalion of four companies and remaining in the field.
The regiment arrived at Augusta, Me., Dec. 30, 1864, and was mustered out of the U. S. service by Major J. W. T. Gardiner, U. S. A., on the 13th of January, 1865.
The battalion, composed of the re-enlisted men, fprming four companies, lettered A, B, C and D, remained encamped at Stevenson's Station, Va., until the 6th of January, 1865, when with the rest of the 2d Division. 19th Army Corps, they proceeded to Baltimore, Md., and on the 11th embarked for Savannah, Ga., arriving on the 20th, and occupying that city until May 7th.
On the 30th of March the battalion was increased by two new companies, the 13th and 14th of Unassigned Infantry; and on the 10th of April by four more, viz: the 17th, 20th, 22d and 23d of Unassigned Infantry, all of which were organized at Augusta, Me., in March and April, 1865, to serve one year, and which were assigned as companies E, F, G, H, I and K, respectively, thereby reprganizing the battalion into a full regiment.
On the 6th of May the regiment moved toward Augusta, Ga., arriving on the 14th, and remaining there until the 31st, when they were ordered back to Savannah, which place they reached on the 7th of June.
On the 9th they proceded to Darien, Ga., and there remained, engaged in guard and patrol duty, until the 28th of August, 1865, when the entire regiment was mustered out of the U. S. service by Capt. Henry L. Wood, Assistant Commissary of Musters, District of Savannah, under War Department Circular No. 30 Series of 1865, and in pursuance of instructions from Head Quarters, Department of Georgia.
On the 1st of September they embarked for Maine, arriving at Augusta on the 17th, where the men were paid and finally discharged on the 28th.